2012 ASP WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONS TO BE CROWNED AT OAKLEY ASP WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BALI

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KERAMAS, Bali (September 5, 2012) - The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is pleased to announce that both the Men's and Women's 2012 ASP World Junior Champions will be crowned in Bali, Indonesia for the first time in ASP history at the upcoming Oakley ASP World Junior Championships October 6-17, 2012. In addition to the World Titles, $100,000 will be on the line for the men and $30,000 for the women.

2010 ASP World Junior Champ Jack Freestone competing at the 2011 Oakley event in Bali. Photo: Russ Hennings

Universally regarded as one of the surfing world's great treasures, the Indonesian, high-performance righthander of Keramas will provide the backdrop to this year's title-deciding bout. Bali will now be added to a prestigious list of surfing locations that have crowned ASP World Junior Champions including: Queensland's Burleigh Heads, Sydney's North Narrabeen, Victoria's Phillip Island and Maui's Honolua Bay. The Oakley ASP World Junior Championships will utilize the primary venue of Keramas rivermouth with a secondary venue of Echo Beach, Canggu.

Jack Freestone (AUS), 20, who won the 2010 Oakley World Pro Junior in classic conditions at Keramas and ultimately claimed the 2010 ASP World Junior Title, is excited to return to Bali to compete as a junior for the last time in his career.

"It's a perfect scenario," Freestone said. "I think the ASP World Junior Champion being crowned in Bali is great. Winning the ASP World Juniors helped propel me into the next stage of my career. I couldn't be more grateful for that, but as for what that means right now, I think I will have a target on my back. Other surfers know I have been successful in Bali in the past and will be gunning for me. I'm looking forward to the week and challenges that event brings."

"Oakley is proud and excited to crown the 2012 ASP World Junior Champion in the idyllic surf destination that is Bali," Ronny Nelson, Oakley Global Surf Sports Marketing Manager, said. "The waves, geography and culture make this place a must-visit destination for all surfers. Since the beginning, Oakley has made it a priority to run this event only in quality swell and Bali has produced every year. With the pristine shores of Keramas as the main site and Canggu as the back-up location we feel we have a winning combination. Now in our fifth year, we've grown the event and witnessed the juniors rise to the occasion each and every year," continued Nelson. "We can't wait to see what they're going to unleash in Bali this October."

The transition to crowning the ASP World Junior Champions in Bali this year means that Billabong's long-standing event at North Narrabeen (and later, Burleigh Heads) will be off the schedule for now, but the ASP is committed to maintaining the prestige of the ASP World Junior Championships set forth by its early supporters.

"The ASP World Junior Championship is undoubtedly the premier junior title globally," Matt Wilson said. "In order to enhance this status and ensure the best junior surfers in the world are available to compete for the ASP World Junior title, we are focusing on producing one World Junior Championship event, in a quality, iconic location each year."

The Oakley ASP World Junior Championships will be webcast LIVE via oakleyprojunior.com. Follow the action on facebook.com/Oakley and @OakleyAction and start a conversation with #OakleyProJr

PAST ASP WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONS:
2011: Caio Ibelli (BRA), Leila Hurst (HAW)
2010: Jack Freestone (AUS), Alizee Arnaud (FRA)
2009: Maxime Huscenot (REU), Laura Enever (AUS)
2008: Kai Barger (HAW), Pauline Ado (FRA)
2007: Pablo Paulino (BRA), Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
2006: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Nicola Atherton (AUS)
2005: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
2004: Pablo Paulino (BRA)
2003: Adriano de Souza (BRA)
2002: N/A
2001: Joel Parkinson (AUS)
2000: Pedro Henrique (BRA)
1999: Joel Parkinson (AUS)
1998: Andy Irons (HAW)

About Oakley, Inc. 
The global leader in performance sunglasses, goggles and prescription eyewear, Oakley also offers technical and lifestyle apparel, footwear, watches and accessories. The company was created for athletes who see impossibility as just another challenge, and their dedication inspires Oakley to seek out problems, solve with innovation and wrap invention in art. Exceeding the limits of possibility for more than thirty years, Oakley serves the demands of world-class athletes with unbeatable technologies including High Definition Optics(r) (HDO(r)). Additional information is available at oakley.com

About GrindMedia
Source Interlink Media's GrindMedia is home to renowned action and adventure sports magazine brands Surfer, Surfing, Snowboarder, Skateboarder, Powder, Bike, Canoe & Kayak, SUP-Standup Paddler, Dirt Rider, ATV Rider,and Paved. Along with our standalone websites, including GrindTV.com, Newschoolers and Motocross.com, GrindMedia is the leading provider of print and online action sports and entertainment content in the United States. Delivering significant reach across both action sports enthusiast and various in-market consumer audiences, GrindMedia produces more than 20 leading events and webcasts such as Surfer Poll Awards, Powder Video Awards, Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro, EnduroCross and International Surfing Day. GrindMedia is also the exclusive action and adventure sports content provider for Yahoo! Sports. To learn more, visit www.grindmedia.com.

Media Contacts:

Dawn Hamilton
KHPR for GrindMedia
310-295-1189
dhamilton@khpublicrelations.com

Elishia Matta
Oakley Sports Marketing Media
949-375-0317
ematta@oakley.com

Luzi Sanjaya
Oakley Indonesia
+62 848 0471
Luzi@oakleyindonesia.com

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